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Power cut forced platform shutdown

Norwegian oil company Statoil was moving personnel off its Oseberg platform in the North Sea to land on Friday and taking them to the mainland, following a power failure on board the platform Thursday afternoon. The power failure in turn led to a gas leak, but it has been stopped.

Published: 19.03.2013

Statoil officials said that problems cropped up when trying to restore power to the Oseberg field center on board the platform. All oil and gas production was halted and remained halted Friday afternoon.

“We’re working to get in place some alternative power sources,” Statoil spokesman Bård Glad Pedersen told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). “Right now it’s too early to say when the field will open up again.”

Nearly 700 people were working at the field center when the power went out during a drilling operation. “We’re sending folks to land who don’t have direct assignments on the field,” Pedersen told NRK.

In accordance with procedure, the field was shut down and emergency preparedness organizations were put on alert.